[RoMo]

@NikitaDarling and any other studio owners — Just a bit more elaboration on how to use FB to your advantage. Here’s a few tips and tricks that I’ve seen have worked for local, small business owners.

1 – Create an excellent profile / web page. This does NOT have to cost lots of money, but do put the time and effort to doing it. You can create a nice FB page or a free web page with a service like WIX. If you create a site, connect it up to your FB page.
2 – Add friends on FB. People in the demographic that interest you (ie; Women, 18-50).
3 – Join groups, especially similar stuff – other local gyms in the area, dance classes, etc. You’ll really be surprised to see how many people saw your page from their local gym’s FB page…
4 – List your events. Invite people.
5 – Share! to rack up followers, you need to create interesting content. Users who like your page will see your post. If they like or comment on your posts, their friends will see it, which can cause your network to grow. The most successful FB posts are the ones that drive the most people to comment, share and like. Most of the times these use a visual element (pics are better than videos!).

Utilize the following tools:
1 — Page insights – it’s like Google’s analytics and will tell you who’s checking out your page, number of people who saw a post, etc. It clearly illustrates the specific content that engages readers.
2 — Hashtags. ’nuff said.
3 — Scheduled posts – FB lets you create a bunch of content and upload at predefined times. Setting certain posts to publish at certain times will give you a great boost in views. For example, if most people check their FB in the mornings, publish this week’s class schedule at 7:30 am, so it’ll be on top of your followers’ news feeds. Pictures, quotes and inspiration should be posted in the evenings, when people need it.

Wishing you all the best of luck! If you ever want any help/advice, please feel free to message me privately.

🙂

[RoMo]

I work in Market Research and Facebook ads are NOT a good way to spend your money. Please don’t waste your money on Facebook ads! You get the views that you’re promised, but the demographics are not accurate and the ROI doesn’t cut it.
Facebook presence is good.
Create a site for your studio (Wix.com or any other free site builder, or even just create a facebook page) and spread the word via friends and such.

[RoMo]

I’ve been waxing my bikini line for ages and it’s made the hair so much finer and lighter, that I find it’s worth it. Also, after years of doing it, the pain has become very mild. I used to go to a professional but a few years ago I started doing it myself with microwavable wax. I find it really convenient, but it does take a few times to get the technique down, so I would go to a pro for the first few times. At home I don’t heat the wax up as hot as my cosmetician used to heat it, but I prefer it this way.
If I have the patience to do my legs, I wax ’em, but most of the time I’ll just attack ’em with an Epilady or some equivalent. Similar to waxing without the mess of the wax. A bit more painful, but faster and cleaner, so it’s a trade off….

As for needing hair to be of a certain length for waxing/tweezing, yes, it needs to be about 4-5mm for it to be effective. But, waxing does cause new growth to be thinner than shaving (shaving cuts the hair at the thickest part, while waxing pulls it out from the root. New growth comes in tapered thinner.). I don’t let myself be bothered by a few mm of growth and no one’s ever said anything to me in a class. I decide not to be bothered by it.

All of that said – I agree with tacha666 — never change a running system before a big event / competition! Experiment when you know you have the week to live with possible unwanted side effects/results.

[RoMo]

Hi Layesh,

I’m sorry to hear this happened to you and I agree with a lot of what Runemist34 said. I can’t talk from personal experience about infidelity, but I can talk as a child of divorce. I was really young when my parents decided to split and looking back, I think it’s the best thing that could have happened for them. My parents weren’t meant to be together, and when they were apart each found their own way and grew. I think that a lot of people who choose to stay together “for the good of the kids” are actually hurting their kids more than anything else. When you are happy, confident, proud, your kids will be much better off. I can only imagine that as a mother you will want the best for your kids, but you also need to make sure you are taking care of yourself, as they’ll be a lot better off when you are happiest.

Wishing you the best of luck.
Hug.

[RoMo]

Ohh, tonight is great for me! Skype or video chat? I use skype all the time, but never used the video chat on here… (Actually, don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone “online” here according to the who’s online on the bottom of the screen…)

9 hours from now is 1:30 am for me… Is it possible doing it a bit earlier? Around midnight my time (GMT+2)?

Thanks

[RoMo]

I do have SV lessons, but I did want to pitch in my two cents.
I agree with the fact that the 3 days trial is a bit short. I would have really appreciated it if it was a full week (7 days). During the three days, I got to play around with it a bit on the first day, had two busy days and didn’t get around to seeing anything more. I ended up signing up when I wasn’t really sure what content I’d be getting… (BTW, I don’t regret it – I’m a beginner and really enjoying it all!).
I signed up for the lessons when you had them down to $79 and the dollar was weak. I live abroad and the $20 dollar discount (as well as the exchange rate at the time of purchase) really did make a big difference to me.
I have recommended the lessons to a few of my pole friends from the studio, but I know that the cost is probably the biggest obstacle.

[RoMo]

Hi Rosie – I’m not small, and while I’m the biggest girl at my studio, I’d rather call myself curvaceous, sensuous… I’m 5’1″ and 180 lbs (152 cm, 80 kgs) and I started poling about 6 months ago.

In class, it always seems that all the other girls are so thin, in their cheeky short shorts and teeny tiny sports bras. Yes, I wear longer, high waist shorts and full coverage tank tops. I feel self conscious about how I look. About two weeks ago, I had the confidence to take my tank top off and remain in sports top and shorts. While I am not thin, I think I look well proportioned. I was working on my eighth class working on inverts and I was only beginning to get it. It was their first class working on inverts and they were already trying (and doing!) Gemini. When one of them caught me looking at them, her smirk seemed to say “I’m thin and that’s why I can do this.”
Needless to say, I went home feeling horrible, despite having finally done an invert.

I’m relatively new here on SV, but having bought a pole and signing up to this site is probably one of the best things I’ve done for myself. I practice several times a week at home, in addition to class (I’ve started to go to a morning class instead of the evening class, with those girls!), which I keep down to once a week since I’ve joined SV. Veena’s videos are amazing. Also, I really enjoy the discussions, other girls’ videos and photos. I have yet to work up the confidence to tape myself, even for my own viewing, but I know I’ll be doing it soon enough.

One of the things, I see here girls of all sizes and levels and that really gives me a great boost of confidence. I’m progressing at my own pace (which sometimes seems really slow… took me a long time to get the pole hold and then even longer to manage my first climb!), but then coming on here and reading about other girls’ experiences gives me a boost of energy to keep getting back on the pole.

I’m really happy that you enjoy poling. Don’t let anyone say or do anything that makes you feel like you can’t. Even if you can’t do something today, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Keep practicing. Tomorrow’s the day. If you ever need to talk, bitch or vent, feel free to contact me. 🙂
In the meantime, hug from afar. (>”)>

[RoMo]

Hi PoleKat – I’m also an office monkey by day… by night, a dynamic czar of the underworld! 😉
I work Sunday – Thursday, so I can do those evenings or Fri-Sat, anytime…

[RoMo]

I have to agree with Kobajo’s outlook of keeping what you love as a hobby. I started pole a few months ago, but I’ve been sewing and designing forever. People have always told me I should make a career out of it – and I always choose not to because I know that the first few years are hard – very hard, and even after that, nothing is guaranteed.

I don’t know where you are in life (kids, mortgage, student loans, etc…), but for me, a steady income is important. I found a day job I enjoy enough to spend 40 hours a week at. The good thing about it is that it gives me a steady salary, which a certain part of it goes towards the things that I’m passionate about – creating, sewing, now pole… 🙂

I think that PinkPony takes things a bit too far with her “Tomorrow is promised to no one, I can’t live in fear like that” outlook. From where I stand, I feel that it’s a bit reckless not to plan for the future – although while planning, never forget to live the present! (Maybe, had you asked me this ten years ago I would have agreed with PinkPony, so I guess this is a matter of where you are in life…)

There’s an article that I really like and I’ve shared it with numerous friends about the DWYL (Do What You Love) credo. I highly recommend reading it!
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/01/do_what_you_love_love_what_you_do_an_omnipresent_mantra_that_s_bad_for_work.single.html

And whatever you do decide to do in the end, best of luck! 🙂

[RoMo]

Thanks HookedonPole. Makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one who thinks that a 30 day challenge might not be finished in 30 consecutive days… 🙂 Good luck!

[RoMo]

Thanks for your recommendations! ! Good to know I’m not the only sweaty poler! I always feel like I’m the only one sweating in the class…

I’ll try to purchase a few of the products mentioned on the thread… My biggest problem is that I live in Israel and not all companies ship to here (I’ve actually had an order cancelled because the company didn’t want to ship to Israel “during these times…” as their email put it.)

I’ll update if I find a combination that I like and find effective…

[RoMo]

I’ve been poling for a few months and played around with a few things like DryHands and MightyGrip. Not a fan of either… My biggest problem isn’t sweaty hands, it’s sweaty thighs. What do you guys do to keep thighs dry? Once I start sweating, which happens a few minutes after I start working out, I can’t get a decent hold on my pole. I’ll try a pole sit, plank, ckr or what not and I just find that my legs slip right down… I’ve tried anti perspirant, as well, but that doesn’t beat the heat…
Advice, please?!

[RoMo]

I started this a month ago on medium, with an initial starting time of 50 seconds and I’m only on day 20… I know I haven’t been perfect at doing it everyday, but I keep on pushing. Today was 3 min 50 sec and it seemed to take FOREVER! I don’t know how I’ll get up to the six minutes on day 30. Also, if I switch to “easy” mode now, it seems to take me back to much shorter times. What I wish the app would do is take the last time I completed it on medium and start the easy from that time… does that make sense?
Is this 30 day challenge taking anyone else besides me more than 30 days? Tell me I’m not alone! 🙂

[RoMo]

PoleKat — Seems like the other girls are all from the US (EST) and would prefer evenings, which is middle of the night for us… I’d be happy to join you during our evenings, get a Europe group started. I’m at GMT+2.

[RoMo]

I’ve watched some of your stuff and it is GOOD. I don’t know how long and hard it took you to get there, but try to remember that it was harder than you remember. You will get back to your badassery, it’s like riding a bike.

Years ago I used to box competitively. I took a two year leave while I was in the military but when I came back to it, I watched videos of me at my peak and at first it was REALLY frustrating, as it became easy to forget how long and hard I worked to get to my peak… But eventually, if you train hard and love what you do, it comes back. 🙂

Good luck!